Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watchhttp://cepr.net/table/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 18:12:23 -0400Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbbarber@cepr.net (Center for Economic and Policy Research)http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/http://www.cepr.net/images/stories/Haiti-Blog-Logo.gifHaiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watchrelief-and-reconstruction-watchhttps://feedburner.google.comHaiti, Irma, Climate Change, and Prioritieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/Oh-JKtg5GC0/haiti-irma-climate-change-and-priorities
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-irma-climate-change-and-priorities<p>At least <a href="http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article22084">one person died</a>, one remains missing, and more than a dozen were injured by the passage of Hurricane Irma off the northern coast of Haiti last week. As of September 11, nearly 6,500 Haitians remain in emergency shelters, <a href="https://twitter.com/emilytroutman/status/907610411767345152">according to the United Nations</a>. Preliminary figures suggest that flooding impacted 22 communes, completely destroying 466 houses and badly damaging more than 2,000 more. As veteran AFP correspondent Amelie Baron <a href="https://twitter.com/Ameliebaron/status/907329656470343680">noted on Twitter</a>, “These are the damages of a hurricane passing hundreds of kilometers away from [the] Haitian coast.”</p>
<p>Compared to some other Caribbean nations, the damage to Haiti’s infrastructure pales. But as Jacqueline Charles <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article172268857.html">reported for the Miami Herald</a>, looks can be deceiving:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Though Haiti was spared a direct hit from Irma and the fallout is nowhere near the magnitude of Matthew’s 546 dead and $2.8 billion in washed-out roads, collapsed bridges and destroyed crops, the frustration and fears for some in its path are no less.</p>
<p>“We didn’t have people who died, but homes and farms were destroyed,” Esperance said. “Just because you don’t see a lot of damages, it doesn’t mean that we haven’t been left deeper in misery.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Charles reported that “entire banana fields lay in ruin” across Haiti’s northern coast. “It took everything,” one local farmer said. As Charles points out, even before Hurricane Irma, Haiti was facing an extreme situation of food insecurity. Last October Hurricane Matthew swept across the southern peninsula, devastating crops and livelihoods and leaving some 800,000 in need of emergency food assistance. Even before Matthew, the World Food Program reported that Haiti was facing its worst food security situation in 15 years. Charles writes:</p>
<p>As recently as February, the food insecurity unit classified the northwest as being in an economic and food security crisis. As a result, [Action Against Hunger’s country director Mathieu] Nabot said, the focus has to be not just on the emergency response but on supporting farmers over the long term, to help strengthen their economic security and ability to cope with shocks.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it appears as though little donor ― or Haitian government ― money went to supporting long-term agricultural development after last year’s storm. Less than 50 percent of the UN’s $56 million appeal for food security and agricultural support <a href="https://fts.unocha.org/appeals/527/summary">was ever provided by donors</a> ― and the overwhelming majority of that <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/ocha-s-flash-appeal-for-haiti-reinforcing-failed-aid-modalities">was short-term emergency food assistance</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, it’s not just the donor community that must do more to support Haitian farmers. Elected on a platform of agrarian development, Haitian president Jovenel Moïse has done little to address the problem since taking office nine months ago. Rumors of the commercial demise of Moïse’s banana plantation, Agritrans ― which was used to bolster his agricultural credentials during election season ― hasn’t helped, nor did putting scarce resources into a caravan across the country. And last week, just hours before Irma’s outer bands began lashing the coast, the Haitian parliament began discussion on this year’s budget. Peasant organizations <a href="http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article22069">held a press conference</a> to denounce the fact that just 6.9 percent is allocated to agriculture.</p>
<p>With the increasing likelihood of extreme weather events ― and Haiti’s obvious vulnerability to such events ― many began advocating for donors and the government to take seriously the threat of climate change<a href="http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/verisk%20index.pdf">. According to the 2017 Climate Change Vulnerability Index</a>, Haiti is the third-most vulnerable country in the world. As <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/59ab3f6be4b0bef3378cd92e">Mark Schuller and Jessica Hsu note</a>, it’s time to start talking about climate justice ― not just climate change:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Climate justice explicitly confronts basic inequalities: the world’s biggest polluters are not those directly affected by climate change. The big polluters are also the biggest “winners” in this economic system. It is no coincidence that higher climate vulnerability communities are largely communities of color and disenfranchised communities within the Global South.</p>
<p>To achieve climate justice requires making sure that communities most directly affected are directly involved in discussions, as well as solutions.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Like in many places in the world, peasant communities in Haiti have waged an ongoing struggle against corporate/private interests which seek to maintain control over natural resources, exploit cheap labor, and increase profit. These peasant&nbsp;communities are on the frontlines&nbsp;which may offer&nbsp;approaches to cool the planet, rather than the&nbsp;proposed solutions&nbsp;that bar those most affected by climate change from the discussions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/Oh-JKtg5GC0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchTue, 12 Sep 2017 10:50:35 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-irma-climate-change-and-prioritiesThe UN’s Legacy in Haiti: Stability, but for Whom?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/tgVl6u-OY8w/the-un-s-legacy-in-haiti-stability-but-for-whom
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/the-un-s-legacy-in-haiti-stability-but-for-whom<p>CEPR Research Associate Jake Johnston published the following article at World Politics Review:&nbsp;<br /><br />The UN’s Legacy in Haiti: Stability, but for Whom?<br /><br />After 13 years and more than $7 billion, the “touristas” — as the United Nations soldiers that currently occupy Haiti are commonly referred to — will finally be heading home. Well, sort of. While thousands of troops are expected to depart in October, the UN has authorized a new, smaller mission composed of police that will focus on justice and strengthening the rule of law. But the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, known by its French acronym, MINUSTAH, is not just thousands of foreign soldiers “keeping the peace.” It is the latest and most visible manifestation of the international community’s habit of intervening in Haiti, a habit that is unlikely to change.&nbsp;</p>
<p>World powers have always had a difficult time accepting Haitian sovereignty. When a slave revolt delivered Haiti independence from France in 1804, gunboat diplomacy ensured the liberated inhabitants would pay for their freedom. For the next 150 years, Haiti paid France a ransom for its continued independence. In the early twentieth century, a new hegemonic power held sway, with US Marines occupying the country for more than 20 years.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Two hundred years after Haitian independence, when the UN Security Council created MINUSTAH, it&nbsp;<a href="http://www.un.org/press/en/2004/sc8083.doc.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">also mandated</a>&nbsp;the formation of the “Core Group,” which included MINUSTAH’s leadership as well as diplomatic representatives from foreign governments and multilateral organizations. Since its creation, the group has influenced — subtly and not so subtly — Haiti’s internal affairs, with the backing of a heavily armed military force.</p>
<p>Read the rest&nbsp;<a href="http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/22736/the-u-n-s-legacy-in-haiti-stability-but-for-whom">here</a>&nbsp;at World Politics Review.</p><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/tgVl6u-OY8w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchWed, 19 Jul 2017 11:52:22 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/the-un-s-legacy-in-haiti-stability-but-for-whomDid Trump Take a Page Out of Haiti’s Presidential Playbook?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/kqyvFJI_-0w/did-trump-take-a-page-out-of-haiti-s-presidential-playbook
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/did-trump-take-a-page-out-of-haiti-s-presidential-playbook<p>Last week US President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. The president immediately came under heavy criticism, accused of obstructing justice, as the FBI is currently investigating the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Two weeks earlier, in Haiti, President Jovenel Moïse fired the director of the country’s financial crimes unit (UCREF). During last year’s elections in Haiti, UCREF produced an investigative report on Moïse, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-inaugurates-a-new-president-dogged-by-money-laundering-charges-low-voter-turnout">raising questions of possible money laundering</a>. No charges have been brought, but the investigation appeared to be ongoing.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While Trump’s moves have spurred increasing calls for impeachment ― or at the very least an independent investigation ― in Haiti, the move occurred with scant international attention. Local human rights groups, however, <a href="http://www.lenouvelliste.com/article/171039/ucref-sans-directeur-general-des-organismes-de-defense-des-droits-humains-preoccupes-par-la-decision-de-lexecutif">have sounded the alarm</a>. Unlike in the US, where the president actually has the power to fire the head of the FBI, it appears as though the Haitian president had no such legal authority to fire the head of the UCREF.</p>
<p>The UCREF has been the recipient of millions of dollars in international support for years, much of which was from the United States. UCREF, however, has failed to produce many measurable successes. In 2016, the <a href="https://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2016/vol2/253403.htm">State Department reported</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 2em;">The country’s financial intelligence unit (FIU), the UCREF, has continued to build its internal capabilities and to do effective casework. The UCREF has fifteen open cases but has not forwarded any cases to the judiciary in 2015. Continued issues in the judicial sector mean the UCREF’s progress is not yet reflected in conviction rates.</p>
<p>In recent years, Haiti has <a href="http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-riskandnon-cooperativejurisdictions/documents/cfatf-public-statement-haiti-suriname-jun2016.html">come under pressure from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force</a> (CFATF) to make improvements to its safeguards against money laundering. If improvements are not made, CFATF has threatened to recommend member states impose restrictions on banking transactions with Haiti. Moïse took office in February 2017 already under a cloud of suspicion for his own alleged involvement in money laundering, and the hollowing out of UCREF’s independence will likely only exacerbate this, with potentially serious economic consequences.</p>
<p>In early May, the <a href="http://lenouvelliste.com/lenouvelliste/article/170759/Vote#sthash.5wD04EPe.uxfs">Haitian Parliament approved a new law on UCREF</a>. Previously, UCREF’s director general was selected in a process directed by five representatives from independent bodies. The new law reportedly gives the president the ability to approve three of the five representatives, granting the executive de facto control over the entity.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But Moïse didn’t even wait for the new law’s approval to act. <a href="http://www.lenouvelliste.com/article/171006/les-coups-manques-de-ladministration-moise-lafontant-lucref-et-la-secretairerie-detat-a-la-securite-publique">On April 19, he replaced</a> UCREF Director Sonel Jean-François, just one year into a three-year term. A replacement, reportedly picked by Moïse, was supposed to be installed last week, but that process has been postponed indefinitely.</p>
<p>Maxime Rony of the Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations <a href="http://www.lenouvelliste.com/article/171039/ucref-sans-directeur-general-des-organismes-de-defense-des-droits-humains-preoccupes-par-la-decision-de-lexecutif">told the </a>media that Moïse’s barely four-month presidency was based on a “governance of revenge,” noting that, in addition to the new law on UCREF, one of the first acts of the new Parliament ― controlled by Moïse’s allies ― was to pass a harsh defamation law. Haiti’s largest newspaper, Le Nouvelliste, <a href="http://www.lenouvelliste.com/article/171006/les-coups-manques-de-ladministration-moise-lafontant-lucref-et-la-secretairerie-detat-a-la-securite-publique">wrote</a> that since the UCREF report was released last year, its director had been “in the sights” of Moïse and his political allies.</p>
<p>Pierre Esperance of the National Human Rights Defense Network pointed out that the law governing the UCREF outlines a clear process for selecting a new director general, and that Moïse’s decision was “<a href="http://www.lenouvelliste.com/article/171039/ucref-sans-directeur-general-des-organismes-de-defense-des-droits-humains-preoccupes-par-la-decision-de-lexecutif">contrary to the law</a>,” and “an extremely serious matter.”&nbsp;</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/kqyvFJI_-0w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchWed, 17 May 2017 11:07:33 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/did-trump-take-a-page-out-of-haiti-s-presidential-playbookUNSC Votes to Gradually End Haiti Mission – and Start a New Onehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/9NR-M0YPaKM/unsc-votes-to-gradually-end-haiti-mission-and-start-a-new-one
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/unsc-votes-to-gradually-end-haiti-mission-and-start-a-new-one<p>After 13 years and more than $7 billion spent, the United Nations Security Council <a href="http://twitdoc.com/view.asp?id=377007&amp;sid=82WF&amp;ext=PDF&amp;lcl=Res-2250-E-.pdf&amp;usr=UNMediaLiaison">voted today</a> to extend the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) mandate for a final six months. By October 2017 the last of the 2,000 plus foreign troops are scheduled to depart Haiti – already down from a high of nearly 9,000 in 2010. But far from representing a complete withdrawal of the controversial mission, the Security Council also approved a successor mission – MINUJUSTH – composed of some 1,000 UN police officers that will stay on with a focus on strengthening the Haitian national police and the country’s justice system.</p>
<p>In an <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article144287704.html">op-ed published</a> in the <i>Miami Herald</i> yesterday, Lauren Carasik, a law professor and human rights expert, outlines the inherent contradictions with this new UN mission, and its focus on increasing access to justice in Haiti:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Nowhere is the United Nations’ lack of accountability more glaring than in Haiti. The U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is responsible for causing a cholera epidemic that has killed thousands and for crimes, including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), that have largely gone unpunished.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Against the backdrop of its transgressions in Haiti, the U.N. is voting this week on withdrawing MINUSTAH, a move long demanded by many who deeply resent the harm inflicted by those sent to protect them. The U.N.’s new secretary-general, António Guterres, favors winding down the force in six months and replacing it with a leaner successor mission that will focus on rule of law and police development. Yet Guterres failed to reflect on how the U.N. can purport to strengthen Haiti’s institutions when its own conduct fails to satisfy bedrock principles of democracy, or whether the $346 million annual budget would be better spent repairing the organization’s tarnished cholera legacy instead.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But in its <a href="http://twitdoc.com/view.asp?id=377007&amp;sid=82WF&amp;ext=PDF&amp;lcl=Res-2250-E-.pdf&amp;usr=UNMediaLiaison">resolution</a> approving the gradual withdrawal of MINUSTAH, cholera is barely mentioned. The resolution simply welcomes the UN’s “New Approach to Cholera in Haiti,” which is currently just 2% funded. As Carasik writes, “despite the anemic reception to his fundraising efforts, the Secretary-General is tabling a move to assess mandatory contributions in the face of stiff resistance from certain member states.” And reports indicate that certain member states also pushed to weaken the cholera-related language in the UNSC resolution. From a <a href="http://www.whatsinblue.org/2017/04/haiti-renewal-of-minustah-s-mandate-for-a-final-six-month-period.php">report in <i>What's In Blue</i></a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[T]here were some differences over how much to focus on the humanitarian situation, human rights and peacebuilding and on the Secretary-General’s new approach regarding cholera. It seems that France and the US pushed for a shorter and more streamlined text, and had reservations about including proposed language on cholera, while Brazil and other Latin American countries felt it was important to reflect some of the observations on human rights and humanitarian challenges and the importance of peacebuilding contained in the Secretary-General’s report.</p>
</blockquote>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/9NR-M0YPaKM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchThu, 13 Apr 2017 11:59:20 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/unsc-votes-to-gradually-end-haiti-mission-and-start-a-new-oneNew Report: Sexual Exploitation and Abuse at the Hands of the UN in Haitihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/lV18ViOC1BU/new-report-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-at-the-hands-of-the-un-in-haiti
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/new-report-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-at-the-hands-of-the-un-in-haiti<em>The following is the introduction to an investigative report conducted by independent researcher Mark Snyder entitled "Sexual Exploitation and Abuse at the Hands of the United Nation's Stabilization Mission in Haiti." The full report is available <a href="http://cepr.net/images/documents/UNSEA_11JAN17_FINAL.pdf">here</a>.&nbsp;</em><strong><br /><br />Investigative Overview</strong><br /><br />A preliminary independent investigation conducted in areas close to existing or abandoned bases for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) brings to light the alarming magnitude of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) at the hands of United Nations personnel in Haiti. The purpose of this investigation is to determine if the initial unreported cases brought to the attention of the author were isolated incidents or are instead a result of a systemic problem present in the UN's mission in Haiti. In consultation with Haitian civil society partners, the following report considers that a further, in-depth investigation into these abuses is vital and urgent.<br /><br />The results of our investigation strongly suggest that the issue of SEA by United Nations personnel in Haiti is substantial and has been grossly underreported. Using the same methodology in all areas where MINUSTAH bases are or have been located[i], a thorough and in-depth investigation would be expected to identify close to 600 victims who would agree to in-person interviews. This number in itself indicates a victim count that requires immediate attention and significant modifications to current MINUSTAH peacekeeping operations, including with regard to the manner in which UN SEA cases are investigated and reported. These preliminary findings are based on the work of one investigator during 27 days of investigation. Through a network of community contacts in eight areas where there currently is, or where there has been a MINUSTAH base, the investigation identified 42 UN SEA victims who agreed to be interviewed. With a professional investigative team, comprised of individuals with specialized expertise and the resources to cover the entire country, the likely number of documented UN SEA allegations from victims would be expected to be significantly higher.<br /><br />The UN Conduct and Discipline Unit (CDU), under the Department of Field Services (DFS) documented 75 total allegations of UN SEA countrywide in Haiti[ii] from 2008-2015. In comparison, 40 of the 42 victims interviewed within the limited scope of this independent investigation allegedly suffered sexual exploitation perpetrated by UN personnel during this same time period. Of the remaining two individuals: one stated she was first a victim in 2005, and the exploitation occurred repeatedly until 2015. The other was a victim of a single incident prior to 2008. Only four of the 42 said they had previously reported the SEA in some manner to the UN, suggesting that the magnitude of the problem may be dramatically underestimated by the CDU. The victims we spoke to were not made aware of whether their cases were included in the 75 total allegations documented by the CDU. All four victims stated they were not satisfied with the subsequent investigatory process or its results.<br /><br />In comparison to the CDU's 75<em> total allegations</em>, the estimated total possible victims of SEA - during the years 2008-2015 – based on an extrapolation of the results of our investigation – is 564. Again, this is an estimate derived from the findings of a single investigator and based only on allegations from those who <em>agreed</em> to meet and be interviewed.<br /><br />The preliminary results of our investigation show that actions taken, such as the creation of the CDU and the extensive efforts with the three pillars of prevention of misconduct, enforcement of UN standards of conduct, and remedial action, do not appear to have been adequate in preventing further SEA perpetrated by MINUSTAH personnel. These efforts have failed to interrupt a persistent cycle of exploitation and abuse followed by UN statements of regret and reform, and then additional incidents of SEA.<br /><br />The UN has stated in numerous publications that while there has been an approximately 50 percent increase in UN peacekeeping personnel in the world, the number of SEA accusations has been steadily decreasing.[iii] However, within the seemingly disconnected array of the UN's SEA reporting and response mechanisms[iv], wide concern is expressed by UN personnel about the validity of the official numbers of UN SEA allegations. Many suspect that the numbers and their decline do not accurately reflect the occurrences of exploitation and abuse.[v] The results of this investigation thus far have shown that in Haiti, as UN personnel suspected, this downward trend of accusations is not due to decreased levels of UN SEA, but instead is caused by a reduction in victims' reporting of these acts.<br /><br />The reforms and initiatives that have been taken over the years since MINUSTAH's 2004 inception appear to be inadequate to prevent UN SEA and fail to encourage victims to come forward. For these reasons, we strongly suggests that a professional independent investigation, comprised of individuals with specialized expertise in sexual exploitation and abuse, be undertaken in Haiti at all locations that currently have or have had MINUSTAH bases so to determine the level of sexual exploitiation and abuse by United Nations' personnel. In order for MINUSTAH to fulfill its mandate of assisting Haiti with the restoration and maintenance of the rule of law and support efforts to "promote and protect human rights, particularly of women and children, in order to ensure individual accountability for human rights abuses and redress for victims"[vi], UN SEA victims must not remain hidden in the shadows. Instead, their existence must be officially recognized, and their voices must be a part of the discussion on the necessary reforms to the UN peacekeeping system.<br /><br /><strong>Introduction</strong><br /><br />Sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel in Haiti has been extensively documented since MINUSTAH's founding in 2004.[vii] Notably, two years after the UN openly recognized SEA by UN peacekeepers as a problem[viii] and sanctioned the 2005 UN Zeid report focusing on UN SEA and describing specific actions to be taken to eliminate future abuse[ix], investigations in Haiti uncovered that the mission's peacekeepers from Sri Lanka were committing extensive sexual exploitation and abuse including rape and transactional sex. This led to a reported 114 soldier repatriations, a move presented as a model for other UN peacekeeping missions. Of those repatriated to Sri Lanka, none of the perpetrators were criminally prosecuted in their home country[x]. In response to the scandal, the UN assured that they remained committed to both to the zero-tolerance policy on SEA and to best practices in peacekeeping.[xi] Other highly visible cases, such as the repeated rape and subsequent kidnapping of a young special-needs boy by peacekeepers in Goniave, Haiti[xii], caused the mission to express outrage and the official response was that the mission would take their responsibility in dealing with abuses by UN personnel extremely seriously.[xiii]<br /><p class="feed-readmore"><a target="_blank" href ="/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/new-report-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-at-the-hands-of-the-un-in-haiti">Read More ...</a></p><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/lV18ViOC1BU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchWed, 22 Mar 2017 05:06:54 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/new-report-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-at-the-hands-of-the-un-in-haitiHaiti Inaugurates a New President Dogged by Money Laundering Probe, Low Voter Turnouthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/vloBjGRcVN4/haiti-inaugurates-a-new-president-dogged-by-money-laundering-charges-low-voter-turnout
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-inaugurates-a-new-president-dogged-by-money-laundering-charges-low-voter-turnout<p>Jovenel Moïse will be inaugurated as Haiti’s new president today as the country returns to constitutional order after a one-year extra-constitutional period of interim rule due to electoral delays.&nbsp; Moïse had previously come in first in an October 2015 election, only to have the results thrown out due to fraud. Rerun in November 2016 under the interim government that replaced former president Michel Martelly, the elections had Moïse securing more than 50 percent of the vote, winning in the first round.</p>
<p>But serious questions continue to dog Moïse as he takes office. Jacqueline Charles of the <i><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article131095069.html">Miami Herald<span style="font-style: normal;"> reports</span></a></i>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Since his win, Moïse has been on a countrywide tour, celebrating his victory, endorsing candidates for the recently held local elections — and battling money-laundering suspicions.</p>
<p>Moïse has dismissed the suspicions as the work of political opponents. The probe began in 2013 under Martelly’s administration when the anti-financial crimes unit was tipped off about a suspicious bank transaction, the current head of the unit, Sonel Jean-François, has said.</p>
<p>Over the weekend, an investigative judge assigned to the case sent his findings to the government prosecutor, but the judge’s order has not been made public. Government prosecutor Danton Léger has yet to say whether he will dismiss the case, send it back to the judge for further review, or prosecute Moïse.</p>
<p>Should he seek to prosecute Moïse, Haiti could find itself in an even deeper crisis than the one triggered by the annulled October 2015 presidential elections.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwrRcOqQep6delJXS3g5WVdONjQ/view">7-page letter</a> dated February 6, Leger, the government prosecutor, requested further information on the allegations against Moïse, ensuring it will continue to hang over the new president.</p>
<p>The money laundering allegations, however, are far from the only topic overshadowing Moïse’s inauguration today. A <a href="http://www.ijdh.org/2017/02/topics/politics-democracy/report-troubling-weaknesses-in-electoral-system-overshadow-return-of-constitutional-rule-in-haiti-francais-inclus/">new report on Haiti’s November elections</a>, from international legal observers, has raised questions as to how effective the new administration may be given the historically low turnout. The report’s authors also note that Haiti’s national identity office was hindered by significant problems, affecting the ability of Haitians to vote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The report notes that despite many improvements in security and electoral administration over the 2015 elections, the 21 percent voter turnout represents the lowest participation rate for a national election in the Western Hemisphere since 1945. “Many Haitians did not vote, not because they did not want to, but because they were unable due to difficulties in obtaining electoral cards, registering to vote and finding their names on outdated electoral lists,” said attorney Nicole Phillips, delegation leader and co-author of the report.</p>
<p>The report documents how many would-be voters were disenfranchised on November 20, due to pervasive errors on electoral lists, difficulties accessing identity cards, and lack of voter education. Haitian electoral authorities also failed to take adequate measures against fraudulent voting. Prior to the election, the head of the National Identification Office (ONI) admitted that 2.4 million activated but undistributed cards had gone missing, which opened the door to fraud via trafficked identity cards.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report’s authors also note with concern that Moïse could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, former president Michel Martelly, who surrounded himself with figures from the Duvalier dictatorship and was criticized by human rights groups for his intimidation of journalists and imprisonment of opposition activists. “With a majority in parliament, the temptation for President Moïse to run roughshod over any opposition will be great,” said Brian Concannon, the executive director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, which published the report with the National Lawyers Guild and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers. “But with the backing of only 9.6 percent of registered voters, the incoming president will face serious limits to his popular mandate.”</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/vloBjGRcVN4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchTue, 07 Feb 2017 05:21:49 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-inaugurates-a-new-president-dogged-by-money-laundering-charges-low-voter-turnoutSeven Years after the Earthquake: Haiti in an unprecedented humanitarian, food, and climate crisishttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/UWEl3s0sE5w/seven-years-after-the-earthquake-haiti-in-an-unprecedented-humanitarian-food-and-climate-crisis
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/seven-years-after-the-earthquake-haiti-in-an-unprecedented-humanitarian-food-and-climate-crisis<p><span class="aBn" tabindex="0" data-term="goog_336498215">To mark the 7th anniversary of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, a number of organizations belonging to the Haiti Advocacy Working Group released the following statement. For a full list of sponsoring organizations, click <a href="http://haitiadvocacy.org/seven-years-earthquake/">here</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />January 12, 2017</span>&nbsp;– Washington, DC –&nbsp; On the seventh anniversary of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, human rights groups, faith-based organizations, policy institutes and humanitarian organizations would like to honor those who lost their lives in the earthquake, as well as those who lost their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. Haiti’s vulnerability to natural disasters is the result of human policies, which can be changed. As the election crisis comes to an end, and President-elect Jovenel Moise is set to take office on&nbsp;<span class="aBn" tabindex="0" data-term="goog_336498216">February 7, 2017</span>, there’s a unique opportunity for sustained change now.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><em>January 12, 2010 Earthquake</em></span></p>
<p>The earthquake and the more than 59 aftershocks that followed took the lives of an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 people, displaced 1,300,000, and directly affected 3,000,000. Despite the billions in aid offered, thousands remain homeless. As of September 2016, the International Migration Organization (IOM) estimated 55,000 people remain in spontaneous or organized camps. For hundreds of thousands of other Haitians “<a href="https://www.odi.org/publications/8007-resilience-build-back-better-bbb-aceh-tsunami-cyclone-myanmar-earthquake-haiti-disaster-recovery" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.odi.org/publications/8007-resilience-build-back-better-bbb-aceh-tsunami-cyclone-myanmar-earthquake-haiti-disaster-recovery&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843748000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFg9RbCoQ4U4zMHXBVghdhGX8S9fA">Building Back Better”</a>&nbsp;left them in precarious ‘permanent’ housing vulnerable to natural disasters and the effects of climate change to which&nbsp;<a href="http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/01/climate-change-in-haiti/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/01/climate-change-in-haiti/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843748000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFCJjVdQ6aSBWL2TgM_DBenitAKgQ">Haiti is ranked one of the most vulnerable</a>&nbsp;countries.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><em>Hurricane Matthew on October 4, 2016</em></span></p>
<p>The Category 4 Hurricane with winds reaching up to 145 mph tore through the country, causing widespread destruction of buildings, agriculture, infrastructure and human lives,&nbsp;<a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haiti-hurricane-matthew-situation-report-no-16-26-october-2016" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haiti-hurricane-matthew-situation-report-no-16-26-october-2016&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843748000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFwsEybBUlvyI_AMx08BQbh2bKbPg">directly affecting</a>&nbsp;1,400,000 people, taking an estimated 546 lives, displacing 175,500, and pushing 806,000 into extreme food insecurity.</p>
<p>The Haitian government, along with civil society, responded to Matthew with prior evacuations and warnings. Various Haitian agencies are now coordinating the hurricane response with civil society actors and international agencies, but funding is greatly needed. The government and UN’s&nbsp;<a href="http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/wfp289689.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/wfp289689.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843748000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGREK3PRZsmENI14eL8lHvL641uEw">Flash Appeal</a>&nbsp;for $21 million to provide food assistance to 800,000 people over three months still lacks 44 percent of the needed funds.</p>
<p>Many Matthew victims continue to live in temporary shelters or shelters pieced together with scrap aluminum, tarps, and wood. Approximately 750,000 Haitians are without&nbsp;<a href="http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA%20Situation%20Report%20%2322%20Hurricane%20Matthew%20Haiti%2016%20Nov%202016.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA%2520Situation%2520Report%2520%252322%2520Hurricane%2520Matthew%2520Haiti%252016%2520Nov%25202016.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843748000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEDoTMq0Bi1MTl01qeBaJAtvHHz-w">safe water</a>, causing the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/hti_cholera_figures_nov_2016_en.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/hti_cholera_figures_nov_2016_en.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843748000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGSn6ixYWCUzFCpVOZ8fhocu36_kw">cholera</a>&nbsp;cases to double in some of the hardest-hit areas. An estimated 80-100 percent of the crops and 50 percent of livestock were destroyed in the country’s south and southwest. These livestock not only provide food, but are the savings bank for many who reside in the countryside – producing a decapitalization in rural Haiti reminiscent of the&nbsp;<a href="http://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/haiti/misctopic/pigs/gaertner.htm" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/haiti/misctopic/pigs/gaertner.htm&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843749000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFoT5KJrVsjmmY76WqCUWlBjjE_Fw">1980’s Kreyol Pig</a>&nbsp;eradication.</p>
<p>The devastation of the 2016 hurricane season follows on the heels of the worst drought Haiti has seen&nbsp;<span class="aBn" tabindex="0" data-term="goog_336498217">in 15 years</span>. The opportunity to replant certain crops during winter planting season was largely missed due to insufficient access to seeds. The ripples of this are felt across the country with the Grand Anse department, the ‘bread basket’ producing 60 percent of the locally produced food. The damage to the Grand Anse renders communities dependent on imported food and increased&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article21023#.WG07wlMrLuE" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article21023%23.WG07wlMrLuE&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843749000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFmVgoO4kozwUi5o4MLSI2BvHeRqg">food prices</a>&nbsp;by 15 – 25 percent.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><em>Haiti’s Future</em></span></p>
<p>Although the earthquake, drought and hurricane may make Haiti appear condemned to suffer from natural disasters, in fact the country’s extreme vulnerability to natural disasters is the product of human policies that can be reversed. The international community has today a unique opportunity to support Haiti in breaking free from its cycle of extreme vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change, and to move away from aid dependency.</p>
<p>In the short-term, houses, hospitals, roads and schools still must be rebuilt. Haiti also urgently needs support to control and respond to the surging&nbsp;<a href="https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/hti_cholera_figures_nov_2016_en.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/hti_cholera_figures_nov_2016_en.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843749000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE4FSQlW4ivzREzUKKAxLLsvdJ2zg">cholera crisis</a>&nbsp;that took 420 lives and sickened 39,329 in 2016 alone. The UN’s new&nbsp;<a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55694#.WHbKCbYrKgR" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; color: #337ab7; background-color: transparent;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID%3D55694%23.WHbKCbYrKgR&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484325843749000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHcLtJD8qBoiRO0UvqBmKLD0zsbcQ">two-track cholera response</a>&nbsp;announced December 1, 2016, promises to reduce cholera transmission and improve access to care and treatment. If funded, the response should control the outbreak in Matthew-affected areas as well as other parts of the country, and also promises to provide material assistance to victims of the epidemic introduced by UN peacekeepers in 2010.</p>
<p>The international community must also be reliable over the long term. A key priority must be to fully fund the UN’s cholera response, which proposes to build the water and sanitation infrastructure necessary to eliminate cholera from the country over the next 10-15 years. Haiti will also need reforestation and crop support to ensure long-term food security and address environmental degradation and climate change. Furthermore, ongoing support for disaster mitigation and preparedness is badly needed. Preparation is by far the best form of disaster response.</p>
<p>We encourage greater accountability and transparency of international actors in Haiti. With President-elect Jovenel Moise set to take office on&nbsp;<span class="aBn" tabindex="0" data-term="goog_336498218">February 7, 2017</span>, any intervention in Haiti must reinforce the capacity of the government and local institutions, and include participation in project design and execution from aid recipients. This type of approach will make aid more effective and sustainable, and allow Haitians to move towards autonomy.</p>
<p>In solidarity with the grief suffered by families of victims of the 2010 earthquake and hurricane Matthew, we honor the memories of those who have passed by translating lessons into action. We can and must do better to address the current humanitarian, food and climate crisis.</p><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/UWEl3s0sE5w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchThu, 12 Jan 2017 06:47:48 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/seven-years-after-the-earthquake-haiti-in-an-unprecedented-humanitarian-food-and-climate-crisisSenator-Elect and Former Paramilitary Leader Guy Philippe Arrested on Drug Charges http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/jdrZzzi796I/senator-elect-and-former-paramilitary-leader-guy-philippe-arrested-on-drug-charges
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/senator-elect-and-former-paramilitary-leader-guy-philippe-arrested-on-drug-charges<p>UPDATE 1/6/2017: The federal indictment against Philippe has been unsealed. It is available <a href="http://cepr.net/images/Philippe_indictment.pdf" class="wf_file"><span class="wf_file_text">here</span></a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />Guy Philippe, a paramilitary coup leader and DEA most-wanted fugitive who was elected to Haiti’s Senate late last year, was arrested on Thursday, just days before he would have been sworn into office and obtained immunity. Philippe has been wanted under a sealed drug indictment in the United States for years, but previous attempts at arresting him failed. Last year, the <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/martelly-bloc-formalizes-alliance-with-dea-fugitive-guy-philippe">DEA confirmed to me</a> that they maintained “apprehension authority” for Philippe, but would not confirm if any active efforts were underway to do so. He will now be extradited to the United States to face charges, though no indictment has been unsealed as of Thursday night.</p>
<p>Although Philippe has spent most of the past decade in Haiti’s rural Grand Anse department where he maintains strict control, he became more active in the country’s politics over the past year as he campaigned for senator. President-elect Jovenel Moise, from the PHTK party, openly campaigned with Philippe and his party allied with Philippe’s early in 2016. A PHTK adviser, Renald Luberice, <a href="https://twitter.com/RenaldLuberice/status/817134810732855297%3Flang=en">tweeted</a> shortly after the arrest that it was “illegal and arbitrary.” Fires and roadblocks almost immediately went up in Phillipe’s hometown and surrounding areas, according to local news reports.</p>
<p>After last year’s elections were scrapped due to fraud and Michel Martelly left office without an elected successor, Philippe became one of the most outspoken critics of the new interim government that took over. In February 2016, he threatened "<a href="http://haitielection2015.blogspot.com/2016/03/guy-philippe-threatens-civil-war-as.html">civil war</a>" if elections were not held by that April. In May, with elections still yet to occur, Philippe was <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/haiti-senate-hopeful-planned-police-station-attack-police-015244049.html">alleged to be the ringleader </a>of an armed raid on a police station in Les Cayes, in southern Haiti. Elections were eventually held in November 2016 and Philippe won a seat in the Senate, representing the Grand Anse department. Parties allied with PHTK and Philippe will <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/breakdown-of-preliminary-election-results-in-haiti">make up the majority</a> of the incoming parliament to be sworn in next week.</p>
<p>Over the summer, a source close to the Haitian government, who requested anonymity, suggested that the US would move against Philippe before he became Senator to “send a message” to the incoming parliament, which includes other figures accused of corruption and drug trafficking. Now that appears to have happened, but not before he helped his allies secure an electoral victory this past November.</p>
<p>Philippe, however, is widely believed to have been involved in murders, atrocities and other human rights abuses over the past 20 years, while serving a political agenda backed by Haiti’s elite and their international allies. He received training by the US military while a cadet in Ecuador in the early 90s before returning to Haiti in 1995. However former president Jean Bertrand Aristide had disbanded the military that same year, due its long history of involvement in atrocities, human rights abuses and coup d’etats. Philippe, who has, <a href="http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca/content/insurgency-and-betrayal-interview-guy-philippe">in his own words</a>, “always dreamed of becoming a soldier,” instead became police chief in the Delmas neighborhood of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. During his tenure, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/legacy/english/docs/2004/02/27/haiti7677_txt.htm">according to Human Rights Watch</a>, “dozens of suspected gang members were summarily executed, mainly by police under the command of Inspector Berthony Bazile, Philippe’s deputy.”</p>
<p>In 2000, Philippe was accused of orchestrating an attempted coup d’etat against president Rene Preval, but before he could be apprehended he fled to the neighboring Dominican Republic. At first, the Dominican authorities told the Haitian government they would help arrest the fugitive police officer and his allies. According to a former Haitian government official, who requested anonymity, Dominican police apprehended Philippe and were set to hand him over to Haitian authorities, but later reversed themselves. Philippe would remain free until this Thursday.</p>
<p>From his safe-haven in the Dominican Republic, Philippe was accused of leading attacks on Haitian police stations and supporters of president Aristide, who had just been elected for a second time. In an <a href="http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca/content/insurgency-and-betrayal-interview-guy-philippe">interview with author Peter Hallward</a>, Philippe denied his involvement but added, “don’t worry, when the time is right people will learn what really happened.” At the time, the Aristide administration was under attack both internally and externally. A “civil society” group calling itself the Group of 184, led by Evans Paul, Andy Apaid and Reginald Boulos among others (all now political allies or financiers of PHTK), advocated for Aristide’s ouster. Philippe, when asked about the role of the Group of 184 in the various police station assaults, responded, “I know that certain political leaders and representatives of civil society can help you with this, since they know everything about what happened … Since they’re cowards, however, they’ll just tell you that they know nothing about it.”</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/jdrZzzi796I" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchThu, 05 Jan 2017 17:07:12 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/senator-elect-and-former-paramilitary-leader-guy-philippe-arrested-on-drug-chargesBreakdown of Preliminary Election Results in Haitihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/InpQWand2xw/breakdown-of-preliminary-election-results-in-haiti
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/breakdown-of-preliminary-election-results-in-haiti<p>More than two weeks after Haitians went to the polls to elect a new president, 16 Senators and 25 Deputies, preliminary results from all races have finally been released. Presidential results have already been contested by the second, third and fourth place finishers while many legislative races will likely be contested as well. However, if the preliminary results are upheld, the November 20 elections will have consolidated nearly unprecedented political power in the hands of PHTK, the party of former president Michel Martelly. While PHTK and its allies appear to have scored electoral victories at both the presidential and legislative level, their political success has occurred in a context of extremely low turnout, raising questions about the significance of their mandate to govern moving forward.</p>
<p><b>Presidential Results</b></p>
<p>At the presidential level, Jovenel Moïse of PHTK came in first place <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B56RZ3-JtuHxS0JqVkdvRmtmck0/view">with 55.67 percent of the vote</a>. If these results hold, &nbsp;Moïse will secure the presidency without having to compete in a second-round election. In second, third and fourth place were Jude Celestin of LAPEH with 19.52 percent, Jean-Charles Moïse of the Platfom Pitit Dessalines (PPD) with 11.04 percent and Maryse Narcisse of Fanmi Lavalas (FL) with 8.99 percent.</p>
<p>While the top four vote getters in the 2016 election were exactly the same as in last year’s election, the results of which were thrown out due to widespread irregularities, the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B56RZ3-JtuHxV3hFZzNaM3FLSWc/view">composition of the vote</a> changed dramatically. Jovenel Moïse, who was widely believed to have benefitted from fraud in the 2015 elections, was the only one of the four to increase their vote total over last year. This appears to largely stem from the far wider geographical support that Jovenel Moïse received in 2016, coupled with the other top candidates losing substantial ground.</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img src="http://cepr.net/images/Haiti_vote_share_department_2016.jpg" alt="Haiti vote share department 2016" width="509" height="263" /></p>
<p>As can be seen above, Jovenel Moïse received over 50 percent of the vote in each department except for the Artibonite and the Sud Est. Similar to in 2015, the strongest areas of support were in the north of the country, where he runs a banana export business. But perhaps the most surprising result this year was that he also received 50 percent of the vote in the Ouest department, home to some 40 percent of registered voters. In 2015, he received just over 20 percent of the vote in the Ouest. This accounts for nearly the entire increase in the number of total votes received by Jovenel Moïse this year.</p>
<p>Still, even with Jovenel Moïse increasing his votes from 2015, the main reason why he was able to win in the first round was that all three other candidates lost significant numbers of votes. Celestin received 185,000 fewer votes, Jean-Charles 104,000 and Narcisse 14,000. If these candidates had simply received the same number of votes as last year, Jovenel Moïse would not have been able to win in the first round.</p>
<p>The long campaign, and the consolidation of private sector funding behind PHTK certainly helped in this regard. With more resources, PHTK was able to more actively campaign and build support throughout the last year. It takes significant money to have party staff across the entire country, an especially important factor in getting one’s supporters to come out to vote on election day. As a result, PHTK had a wider national presence of political party representatives than other parties, according to local observer organizations. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Another factor that contributed to the vastly different result was that many more voters were either unable or unwilling to participate in this year’s election. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), announced that participation was just 21 percent, compared to 26.6 percent last year. However the rate announced by the CEP includes many thousands of votes that were not counted due to irregularities. If one looks just at valid votes, the participation in this year’s election drops to 17.3 percent. The 26.6 percent figure from last year was based on valid votes.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/InpQWand2xw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchTue, 06 Dec 2016 12:06:06 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/breakdown-of-preliminary-election-results-in-haitiHaiti Election Primer, Part 5: The International Communityhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/r9KMfNm6Z1s/haiti-election-primer-part-5-the-international-community
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-5-the-international-community<p>Ever since the first democratic elections in 1990, the influence of foreign actors over Haiti’s political process has only increased. Foreign donors have financed Haitian elections, UN troops have transported ballots and guarded polling stations, international observers have granted (or withheld) legitimacy to electoral outcomes, and foreign embassies have intervened when postelectoral crises erupt. Due to this preponderant role played in elections, the so-called international community ― the polite term for the dominant powers, organized now as the Core Group ― has often had the last word in Haitian politics. <br /><br />This state of affairs has engendered even greater distrust in the political process. Sensing that it was not voters but foreign diplomats who decided who could be president, Haitians’ participation in elections has plummeted, from greater than 50 percent participation a decade ago to only about 25 percent last year. But with the developments over the past year and a half, that cycle looked to be breaking down. <br /><br />The decision of the Haitian authorities, with the support of civil society, to rerun the election was a huge blow to the US and its allies in the international community. The Core Group (which brings together the ambassadors of the US, Canada, France, Brazil, Spain, the European Union, and the special representatives of the Organization of American States and the secretary general of the United Nations) had vigorously opposed calls for a verification commission and the formation of a transitional government after the October 25, 2015 elections. Many advocated for a continuation of last year’s vote, despite the protests of political actors and civil society, and the boycott of second-place finisher Jude Celestin. As Haiti expert Robert Maguire <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-blame-haitians-for-election-troubles/2015/12/15/0a984b3c-a288-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_story.html">noted</a> at the time, “the objective seems simply to be able to check an ‘elections done’ box.” <br /><br />The US and the Core Group was also worried that new elections might give the Lavalas-aligned candidates (Maryse Narcisse and Moïse Jean-Charles) a better chance at the presidency. “They're not thrilled with Aristide’s forces coming back,” a US congressional source <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-haiti-election-aristide-idUSKCN0V42TV">told</a> Reuters regarding the Obama administration’s reaction to the antifraud protests. Another concern for the Obama administration <a href="https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/05/haiti-elections-hillary-clinton-fraud-corruption-earthquake-martelly/">was keeping Haiti</a> ― where Hillary Clinton had developed a negative reputation ― out of the headlines during the US presidential campaign.<br /><br />An organized and mobilized civil society rejected the dictates of the foreign actors and the interim government that took over when former president Martelly’s term expired responded to these demands. Confronted by this stunning development, European Union observers pulled out of the country after the decision to rerun the presidential election. The US withdrew $2 million in funding that remained in a UN-managed election basket fund and, with Canada, pledged not to provide additional money for this year’s election. Foreign aid was reduced over the last year, with many embassies refusing to attend meetings with the provisional president, or even go to the National Palace over the last nine months.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/r9KMfNm6Z1s" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>beeton@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchSun, 20 Nov 2016 11:06:53 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-5-the-international-communityHaiti Election Primer, Part 4: Hurricane Matthewhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/NkifQ-nC4k4/haiti-election-primer-part-4-hurricane-matthew
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-4-hurricane-matthew<p><em>Read Part 1: Timeline of Key Events, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-1-timeline-of-key-events">here</a>.<br /></em><em>Read Part 2: Presidential Candidates and Their Parties, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-elections-primer-part-2-presidential-candidates-and-their-parties">here</a>.<br />Read Part 3: The Parliament, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-3-the-parliament">here</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>The devastating passage of hurricane Matthew has changed the dynamics of the upcoming election in Haiti. Following last year’s fraudulent elections, the new electoral council has been making changes in order to produce a more legitimate outcome this year, but the hurricane has raised new concerns.</p>
<p>A significant number of voting centers in the affected area have been destroyed or damaged. Many are also being used as temporary shelters. Efforts have been ongoing to repair or set up tents to replace voting centers, and the electoral council has stated that 80 percent of damaged voting centers have been repaired, and that all are able to be reached. However, the true test will come Sunday.</p>
<p>Additionally, many communities remain almost completely out of contact and unable to be reached. Electoral materials have been distributed throughout the country, but there is a high probability of delays on Sunday morning in some hard-to-reach areas. Damage to infrastructure, and ongoing flooding in parts of the country could also dissuade voters from going to the polls. Turnout ― which has already reached abysmal levels in recent elections ― will be a key indicator.</p>
<p>Many voters also lost their identity cards in the storm. Though it is unclear how many Haitians were impacted, and the government has pledged to provide new cards to those in need, the full scale of the problem is still unknown. The government agency responsible for providing the ID cards said last week that only 2,000 new cards have been requested, indicating that many may simply be dealing with basic necessities like having a roof over one’s head or securing food, rather than voting. This has created uncertainty around the ability of Haitians in the southern peninsula to exercise their democratic rights.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Beyond the technical problems that have been created by the hurricane, there are severe humanitarian issues. Hundreds of thousands across the southern peninsula have been left with no homes, no crops and no safe water. Relief efforts are ongoing, but have been inadequate to address the many needs. Is it simply too soon to ask the Haitian people most impacted by this storm to think about an election?</p>
<p>Between 10 and 15 percent of registered voters reside in the storm-ravaged southern peninsula, and many more in the northern departments that have more recently been affected by heavy rains and flooding. It is clear the election in these areas will be significantly impacted, and many will be disenfranchised. It’s also possible that with lower turnout in more rural provinces, it will be, more than ever, Port-au-Prince determining who the next president will be.</p>
<p>This is likely to reinforce centralization in the “republic of Port-au-Prince”, further isolating rural provinces and towns that have long felt disconnected from the political and economic elite in the country’s capital.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/NkifQ-nC4k4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchFri, 18 Nov 2016 05:46:30 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-4-hurricane-matthewHaiti Election Primer, Part 3: The Parliamenthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/-e6KBOdk5OQ/haiti-election-primer-part-3-the-parliament
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-3-the-parliament<p><em>Read Part 1: Timeline of Key Events, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-1-timeline-of-key-events">here</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em>Read Part 2: Presidential Candidates and Their Parties, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-elections-primer-part-2-presidential-candidates-and-their-parties">here</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>Often lost in the discussion of Haiti’s presidential race is the fact that many legislative seats are up for grabs as well, including more than half of the Senate. Currently, the parliament is pretty evenly split between political factions but with such a high number of seats left to be decided the balance of power could shift dramatically this weekend. Control of the legislative body is especially important in Haiti’s political system, where it is parliament that approves the new prime minister and government program.</p>
<p>The presidential election was scheduled to coincide with the expiration of one-third of the Senate. Ten Senators had been elected to six-year terms in 2010, so ten first-round races for senate seats will be conducted on November 20. Six second-round Senate races and two dozen second-round races for Deputy will be held as well. The second-round races are the continuation of last year’s fraud- and violence-plagued elections.</p>
<p>For the ten first-round senate elections (one in each department), 149 candidates have registered, coming from 43 different political parties. Interestingly, it is Fanmi Lavalas and Pitit Dessalines who have registered the most candidates of the four major presidential parties with 10 and 9 respectively. With candidates competing in all ten departments, it could bolster rural votes at the presidential level. PHTK and LAPEH, on the other hand, have registered 7 and 6 candidates respectively.</p>
<p>For the second-round senate races still to be competed, parties allied with PHTK make up the majority of candidates. Due to high levels of fraud and violence in the August 9, 2015 legislative election, first-round reruns were conducted for these races in 3 departments (Center, Grand Anse and Nord) last October. Nine of the 12 Senatorial candidates participating in this Sunday’s second round are from PHTK, Bouclier and Consortium (all allies) while no other party has more than one candidate. With two senators being elected from each of these races, PHTK and its allies are guaranteed at least one additional seat in each department.</p>
<p>At the deputy level, there are 25 second-round races that will be completed on Sunday. Again, it is PHTK and allied parties that make up the largest number of candidates, accounting for 40 percent overall, putting them in a good position to pick up seats in the lower chamber. The number of races, broken down by department is as follows: West (6), North (6), Artibonite (4), Center (2), Grand’Anse (2), South-East (2), South (2) and North-West (1).</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/-e6KBOdk5OQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchThu, 17 Nov 2016 13:14:47 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-3-the-parliamentHaiti Elections Primer, Part 2: Presidential Candidates and Their Partieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/nd4SgdvQJSs/haiti-elections-primer-part-2-presidential-candidates-and-their-parties
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-elections-primer-part-2-presidential-candidates-and-their-parties<p><i>Read Part 1: Timeline of Key Events, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-1-timeline-of-key-events">here</a>.</i></p>
<p>In a crowded field of 54 presidential candidates, the top two finishers in last year’s elections were Jovenel Moïse (PHTK) and Jude Celestin (LAPEH). Third and fourth were Moïse Jean-Charles (Platfom Pitit Dessalines) and Maryse Narcisse (Fanmi Lavalas). Although the earlier vote was plagued by fraud and irregularities and the results were eventually discarded, the top four finishers on October 25, 2015 are expected to lead the pack of 27 candidates participating on Sunday, November 20. Here is a closer look at the principal candidates heading into this weekend’s election:</p>
<p><b>Jovenel Moïse</b> is PHTK’s candidate. Prior to the 2015 elections when former President Martelly selected Moïse as his successor, the lanky agricultural businessman from the North was a political unknown. Moïse’s company Agritrans runs a banana plantation primarily for export in Trou-du-Nord and was set up with government financing under Martelly’s administration. During the campaign, Moïse has branded himself as “The Banana Man” (Nèg Bannann Nan). He promises to revitalize Haiti’s neglected agriculture and to remobilize Haiti’s military, which was disbanded in 1995.</p>
<p>While in office, Martelly campaigned aggressively for Moïse and was accused of using state resources to promote his party’s candidate. For this reason, Moïse was perceived by many as a weak Martelly surrogate. One irony of the long delay since last year’s vote is that PHTK’s Moïse may actually be in a better position now. Time has allowed him to step out from under Martelly’s shadow, posing as an opponent to the provisional government rather than the ruling party’s candidate. PHTK and its political allies in the parliament have accused the interim government and the CEP of being biased in favor of “Lavalas” and claimed that the elections may be rigged against them. They have also consistently questioned the legitimacy of the provisional president, even at one point calling on police officers to disobey orders.</p>
<p>After the Hurricane, PHTK leaders threatened the provisional government with street protests and legislative action if elections were not held within weeks of the storm and have been publicizing polling (notoriously suspect in Haiti) that shows Jovenel Moïse with the highest level of support among presidential candidates.</p>
<p>Haiti’s interminable election cycle has depleted the finances of many parties, but although PHTK is facing similar problems, they are likely the party with the deepest pockets. With greater access to resources, the party was able to continue to campaign - including in the hurricane-hit south where Moïse distributed aid to victims. Well-financed and with a cadre of international election advisors, PHTK has many factors working in their favor.</p>
<p>In their quest for the presidency, PHTK has allied with local politicians that, in some cases, have been tied to corruption, drug trafficking and other wrongdoing. Though the campaign has distanced itself from Martelly, there is lingering dissatisfaction with the previous government, bolstered by recent allegations of corruption, which could weigh on voter’s minds Sunday.</p>
<p><b>Jude Celestin</b>, the second-place finisher in last year’s election and the leading figure in the boycott movement, is the candidate of Ligue alternative pour le progrès et l'émancipation haïtienne (LAPEH). In the 2010 election, Celestin competed under the banner of INITE, the party of then-president René Préval. Those elections were also plagued by widespread fraud, violence and irregularities, many stemming from the fact that elections were held in the same year as the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands and left more than a million displaced. An Organization of American States (OAS) commission recommended changing the results, removing Celestin from the race and replacing him with Michel Martelly, without providing evidence that Martelly had actually received more votes than Celestin. The US then issued diplomatic threats, including a possible cut off of desperately needed post-earthquake aid, in order force the Haitian government to accept the changes.</p>
<p>Many expected Celestin to eventually call off the boycott and participate in last year’s second-round election, but his position was unwavering and led to the cancellation of the election. His supporters consider him a savior for preventing the fraudulent elections from standing; adversaries see him as the primary cause of the political instability of the last year. After 2010 and his role in cancelling last year’s election, Celestin hasn’t made many friends in the international community, though many close to him have worked over the last year to reestablish a relationship.</p>
<p>Celestin has championed his boycott’s role in getting the rerun, and has pointed to his experience at CNE, the national construction company, to present himself as a builder who knows how to get things done. After the Hurricane, Celestin offered to rebuild a key bridge and construction equipment was seen plastered with his campaign image.</p>
<p>With the provisional president Privert coming from an allied political party, Celestin is perceived to have benefitted from the change in leadership. But it is important to note that the interim government consists of politicians from many different movements and it would be a mistake to think all, or even most, are willing or able to help his campaign.</p>
<p>Still Celestin, similar to PHTK, has received significant private sector backing and can likely count on support from those sectors that have historically been allied with President Préval, giving him a political machine that should be able to generate votes on election day. Still, it is interesting to note that of the three former presidents currently active in politics, Préval is the only one to not openly endorse a candidate. University professor Jacky Lumarque was Préval’s chosen candidate, but was excluded from participating by the previous electoral council under Martelly.</p>
<p><b>Moïse Jean-Charles</b>, a former Senator from the North department, finished third in last year’s election and is once again expected to be a top vote getter. Jean-Charles was the leading opposition voice against the former Martelly government and led street protests against his rule. Jean-Charles joined Celestin in rejecting last year’s election results and initially supported the interim government and the decision to rerun the elections from scratch.</p>
<p>More recently, however, Pitit Dessalines has struck a similar tone as the other leading candidates in calling for elections to be held as soon as possible after hurricane Matthew. &nbsp;The party has also expressed discontent with the electoral apparatus and interim government and called for greater transparency, especially in the vote counting process.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/nd4SgdvQJSs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchWed, 16 Nov 2016 12:22:41 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-elections-primer-part-2-presidential-candidates-and-their-partiesHaiti Election Primer, Part 1: Timeline of Key Eventshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/naMisWaACwk/haiti-election-primer-part-1-timeline-of-key-events
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-1-timeline-of-key-events<p>Less than a week from now, on November 20, Haiti heads to the polls to choose a new president as well as dozens of legislative seats. The electoral process started in 2015 but has been repeatedly delayed and postponed due to post-election protests, candidates’ boycotts, and more recently Hurricane Matthew. The results of last October’s first-round presidential election were thrown out on the recommendation of an independent investigative commission that identified significant levels of fraud and other irregularities. Below is a timeline that traces the major events of Haiti’s extended electoral saga:</p>
<p>December 2014 - January 2015: Protests force Prime Minister<a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/presidential-commission-recommends-removing-prime-minister-as-pressure-mounts-to-resolve-electoral-crisis"> Laurent Lamothe to step down</a> as the terms of many parliamentarians expire. President Michel Martelly’s government had not held elections for its first four years in office, allowing the president to begin ruling by decree. A new Prime Minister and <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/a-look-at-the-new-provisional-electoral-council">CEP are appointed</a>, tasked with organizing the legislative and presidential votes.</p>
<p>August 9, 2015: First-round legislative elections are so <a href="https://news.vice.com/article/fraud-violence-and-protests-cloud-results-of-haitian-election">marred by violence and fraud</a> that many races cannot be completed and must be re-run again in about a quarter of constituencies.</p>
<p>October 25, 2015: The first-round presidential election is held, alongside legislative reruns as well as legislative second-round elections in some localities. The <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-announces-preliminary-election-results-but-race-far-from-settled">elections are rejected</a> by a growing opposition movement that alleges <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/presidential-elections-in-haiti-the-most-votes-money-can-buy">widespread fraud</a> on behalf of the ruling party and its candidate, Jovenel Moise of the Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (PHTK), who came in first according to the official results.</p>
<p>December 17, 2015: Facing increasing criticism ahead of the planned December 27 runoff, president <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/martelly-forms-commission-to-evaluate-haiti-elections-but-can-it-break-impasse">Martelly announces a commission</a> to investigate the elections. Given just a few days to perform its work, the commission finds significant problems and makes a number of recommendations for moving the electoral process forward.</p>
<p>December 21, 2015: The scheduled runoff election is postponed. Before the<a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/evaluation-commission-s-ambiguous-report-may-only-deepen-haiti-s-electoral-crisis"> commission’s recommendations can be adopted</a>, a new runoff is scheduled for January 24.</p>
<p>January 11, 2016: Despite growing concerns about fraud-tainted electoral results, a partial legislature is seated, consisting of 92 newly-elected deputies and 24 senators. Races for 6 senators and 26 deputies remain incomplete.</p>
<p>January 22, 2016: The second-round presidential and legislative elections <a href="https://medium.com/@JakobJohnston/with-haiti-elections-cancelled-negotiations-begin-for-what-comes-next-a8f0f63a923a?source=user_profile---------2-">are indefinitely called off</a>. Second-place finisher Jude Celestin (LAPEH) had pledged to boycott the second-round and was joined by seven other opposition presidential candidates. This stance was supported by the vast majority of civil society organizations, including human rights groups, church leaders and eventually even the private sector business associations.</p>
<p>February 5, 2016: With Martelly’s term expiring on February 7 and no elected successor to take his place, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/accord-or-discord-political-agreement-eases-tensions-but-crisis-persists">an agreement is reached</a> to form a transitional government. Senator Jocelerme Privert is soon after selected as interim president and given a mandate of 120 days. The deal dissipated tensions that had been rising due to concerns that Martelly would try to hold on to power. Armed paramilitaries had appeared in Port-au-Prince and clashed with Martelly opponents.</p>
<p>April 30, 2016: President Privert <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-president-calls-for-electoral-verification-mission-opposed-by-international-donors">establishes an independent investigation commission</a> to examine fraud claims and restore confidence in the electoral process before continuing with the vote. This decision is opposed by PHTK and its political allies – who are well represented in the recently-seated parliament – as well as many actors in the international community, including the European Union (EU) and the United States.</p>
<p>June 6, 2016: The independent commission recommends rerunning the first round presidential vote and a new electoral council announces new first-round elections scheduled for October 9, 2016. The EU observation team pulls out of the country and the <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/us-withdraws-funding-for-haiti-elections">US pulls funding </a>from the election after the decision.</p>
<p>June 14, 2016: The interim president’s mandate expires, but parliament is unable to reach a quorum to either replace the leader or extend his term due to obstruction by the <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/martelly-bloc-formalizes-alliance-with-dea-fugitive-guy-philippe">pro-PHTK bloc</a>. Privert’s opponents refuse to recognize him as a legitimate leader and question each decision made by the interim authorities, accusing them of simply wanting to perpetuate themselves in power.</p>
<p>Oct 4-5, 2016: Hurricane Matthew, a category 4 storm, ravages the country – specifically the southern peninsula – just days before the new elections were set to take place. The election <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/elections-on-hold-in-haiti-after-hurricane-matthew">was once again postponed</a>. One week before the scheduled October 9 vote, prospects for the vote were hopeful. Preparations were in place, electoral materials had arrived in country and were being prepared for distribution, new safeguards against fraud and abuse had been implemented and candidates had taken to the campaign trail.</p>
<p>Oct 14, 2016: Facing<a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/elections-on-hold-in-haiti-after-hurricane-matthew"> immense pressure</a> from political actors to hold the election as soon as possible, the CEP issues a new electoral schedule calling for elections November 20. Electoral infrastructure, especially in the southern peninsula, is severely damaged with many voting centers being used as temporary shelters. The new date means that there will not be an elected president in office by February 7, as initially expected.</p>
<p>However with a dire humanitarian situation still raging in the southern peninsula, electoral infrastructure severely damaged and ongoing flooding in various parts of the country, skepticism remains high as to if a legitimate and free election is possible this weekend, or if it will be another blow to Haiti’s fragile democracy.</p>
<p><i>Up next, Haiti Election Primer, Part 2: The Parties, Parliament and the International Community</i></p><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/naMisWaACwk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchTue, 15 Nov 2016 12:03:01 -0500http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-election-primer-part-1-timeline-of-key-eventsOCHA’s Flash Appeal for Haiti: Reinforcing Failed Aid Modalitieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/EgZiQuH7jdQ/ocha-s-flash-appeal-for-haiti-reinforcing-failed-aid-modalities
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/ocha-s-flash-appeal-for-haiti-reinforcing-failed-aid-modalities<p>On October 10, less than a week after Hurricane Matthew ripped across Haiti, the United Nations launched an emergency appeal for $120 million. Ten days later, donors have failed to fill the need, contributing just over 20 percent of the funds deemed necessary. But whom is the money being raised for? What planning or coordination went in to the $120 million ask? Are donors right to be hesitant?</p>
<p>An analysis of <a href="https://fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=emerg-emergencyDetails&amp;appealID=2884">UN Financial Tracking Service data</a> shows that the vast majority of the funds raised are destined for UN agencies or large, international NGOs. Reading press releases, government statements and comments to the press, it would seem that many lessons have been learned after the devastating earthquake of 2010: the importance of coordinating with the government, of working with local institutions and organizations, of purchasing goods locally and of building long-term sustainability in to an emergency response.</p>
<p>But, as one Haitian government official posed it to me, “we all learned the lessons, but have we found a solution?” Based on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) appeal, the answer is not yet.</p>
<p>Perhaps this should be of little surprise, the flash appeal is designed specifically to “fund United Nations aid activities” for the next three months, not to raise money for local organizations, the Haitian government or for long-term, sustainable projects.&nbsp; But the analysis is nonetheless revealing.</p>
<p><b>Funding Destined for UN and Foreign NGOs</b></p>
<p>The appeal is largely based on individual projects from individual organizations, and does not appear to have been launched with input from the Haitian government. As can be seen below, the vast majority of funding is destined for UN agencies.</p>
<p><b>Table 1.</b></p>
<p><img src="http://cepr.net/images/OCHA_Appeal_UN_Agency_2.jpg" width="373" height="286" alt="OCHA Appeal UN Agency 2" /></p>
<p>Looking at the above chart, one sees that 85 percent of the funding requested is for the UN’s own agencies and that, of the $28 million provided so far, 79 percent has gone to these same entities.</p>
<p>Of the remaining $17 million for other organizations, it is overwhelmingly allocated to large foreign NGOs such as CARE and Save the Children. Haitian organizations or institutions appear to have an extremely limited role in the appeal, if one at all.</p>
<p><b>Importance of Coordination and Long-Term Sustainability</b></p>
<p>There has also been an acknowledgement that more must be done to both coordinate with the Haitian government and the various actors on the ground and to focus earlier on in building long-term capacity. But the OCHA appeal does not have an emphasis on either.</p>
<p><b>Table 2.</b></p>
<p><img src="http://cepr.net/images/OCHA_Appeal_Sector.jpg" width="556" height="266" alt="OCHA Appeal Sector" /></p>
<p>As can be seen, about 50 percent of the total requirement is for the food security, nutrition and emergency agriculture sector. There is no doubt that agriculture production and food security are some of the largest concerns going forward, but most of these funds, $46 million, is for short-term food assistance through the World Food Program (WFP). On the other hand, just $9 million will go towards “restoration” of “rural productive capacity.” The WFP program has already received $7.4 million, while the restoration project has only received $800,000.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/EgZiQuH7jdQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchMon, 24 Oct 2016 03:52:03 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/ocha-s-flash-appeal-for-haiti-reinforcing-failed-aid-modalitiesElections on Hold in Haiti After Hurricane Matthewhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/tZHBlPOizpc/elections-on-hold-in-haiti-after-hurricane-matthew
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/elections-on-hold-in-haiti-after-hurricane-matthew<p>Port-au-Prince, Haiti ― Under the leadership of an interim government since February, Haiti will now wait a little longer to elect a president after Hurricane Matthew struck the island, with 130 mile-per-hour winds and up to two feet of rain last week. Elections scheduled for October 9 have been put on hold, with Haiti’s provision electoral council (CEP) expected to announce a new date on Friday. <br /><br />As the scale of the damage becomes clearer in Haiti’s rural Tiburon peninsula, where entire communities were left destroyed and under water, negotiations are ongoing in the relatively unscathed capital of Port-au-Prince, where political and economic power has long resided. Pressure is building on Haiti’s besieged interim president Jocelerme Privert to hold the elections in the coming weeks, but an internal assessment of electoral infrastructure obtained by Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch reveals massive damage to voting centers throughout the hardest-hit departments.<br /><br />Some 30 percent of voting centers remained inaccessible in the most impacted areas according to the report compiled by the Organization of American States (OAS), while of those that were visited, 70 percent were rendered inoperable. The storm-ravaged departments are home to roughly one million of Haiti’s approximately 5.9 million registered voters. Across the country, meanwhile, the government estimates 1.4 million people to be in need of humanitarian assistance. <br /><br />The CEP met with political parties Monday and has also met with representatives from the international community, Haitian civil society and the government this week. Mathias Pierre, a representative of Platfòm Pitit Dessalines, whose presidential candidate is former Senator Moïse Jean Charles, said that political parties had agreed on October 30 for the new date. But no official decision has been made, as the CEP continues to search for consensus.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/tZHBlPOizpc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>beeton@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchThu, 13 Oct 2016 09:08:16 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/elections-on-hold-in-haiti-after-hurricane-matthewClinton E-Mails Point to US Intervention in 2010 Haiti Electionshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/kTfxCI8cJ8k/clinton-e-mails-point-to-us-intervention-in-2010-haiti-elections
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/clinton-e-mails-point-to-us-intervention-in-2010-haiti-elections<p><a href="http://cepr.net/en-francais/opinions/ce-que-revelent-les-emails-de-clinton-sur-l-election-de-martelly-en-2010">En français</a></p>
<p>“The situation cannot afford Washington to sit on sidelines. They elected him and they need [sic] pressure him. He can't go unchecked,” Laura Graham, then the Chief Operating Officer of the Clinton Foundation, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwrRcOqQep6dbHZpWGdxcE4zQ0k/view?usp=sharing">wrote to Bill Clinton in early 2012</a>. Graham was referring to the increasingly erratic, and potentially dangerous, behavior of Haitian president Michel Martelly. When she said “<i>They</i> elected him,” she was referring to the US government, which intervened through the OAS to change the election results of the first round of Haiti, putting Martelly in to the second round. The e-mail, one of many Graham sent to Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff on February 26, 2012, eventually was sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her top aide, Cheryl Mills. The note is perhaps the clearest evidence to date that key officials, even within the Clinton camp, viewed the US intervention in the 2010 Haitian election as decisive.</p>
<p>The 2010 Haitian election was a mess. Held less than a year after a devastating earthquake, millions of people were displaced or otherwise disenfranchised and then-president René Préval was accused of fraud on behalf of his preferred candidate Jude Célestin. A majority of candidates held an afternoon press conference on election day denouncing the process and calling for new elections. But Washington and its allies, who had funded the election, pushed forward, telling the press that everything was okay. Mirlande Manigat,&nbsp;a constitutional law professor and former first lady, and&nbsp;Célestin came in first and second, respectively, according to preliminary results, putting them into a scheduled run-off. Martelly was in third, a few thousand votes behind.</p>
<p>Protests engulfed the capital and other major cities, threatening the political stability that donors have long desired, but have failed to nurture. With billions in foreign aid on the table and Bill Clinton overseeing an international effort at “building back better,” there was a lot on the line: both money and credibility.</p>
<p>With Martelly’s supporters leading large, and at times violent, protests, the US turned up the heat by publicly questioning the results just hours after they were announced. Within 24 hours, top State Department officials were already discussing with Haitian private sector groups plans to force Célestin out of the race. “[P]rivate sector have told RP [René Préval] that Célestin should withdraw … This is big,” then US Ambassador to Haiti Ken Merten <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwrRcOqQep6deFJrUHZyQm9HV3M/view?usp=sharing">wrote the next day</a>. Merten wrote that he had personally contacted Martelly’s “camp” and told them that he needs to “get on radio telling people to not pillage. Peaceful demo OK: pillage is not.” Unfortunately, much of Merten’s message and those in response have been redacted.</p>
<p>The Haitian government eventually requested that a mission from the Organization of American States (OAS) come to Haiti to analyze the results. The mission, despite not conducting a recount or any statistical test, recommended replacing Célestin in the runoff with Martelly. &nbsp;With the lowest turnout for a presidential election in the hemisphere’s recent history, and at least 12 percent of the votes simply missing, any decision on who should be in a second round would be based on faulty assumptions. (CEPR <a href="http://cepr.net/..:Documents:Haiti:Clinton%20Emails:cepr.net:publications:reports:haitis-fatally-flawed-election">analyzed all the voter tally sheets</a> at the time, conducting a statistical analysis of the vote, and later showed how <a href="http://cepr.net/..:Documents:Haiti:Clinton%20Emails:cepr.net:publications:reports:analysis-of-the-oas-missions-draft-final-report-on-haitis-election">the OAS recommendation</a> could not be <a href="http://cepr.net/publications/reports/oas-in-haiti">supported by any statistical evidence</a>.)</p>
<p>Nevertheless, pressure began to mount on the Haitian government to accept the OAS recommendations. Officials had their US visas revoked and US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice even went so far as to threaten to cut aid, even though the country was still recovering from the devastating earthquake earlier in the year.</p>
<p>In late January 2011, two months after the elections, but before any decision had been made, Laura Graham <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwrRcOqQep6dcnh1Qjh2Mi1wV1k/view?usp=sharing">wrote to top Hillary Clinton aide Cheryl Mills</a>, warning that her boss, Bill Clinton [wjc] would be very upset if certain visas were pulled:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There are rumors abt ur second visa list and jmb [Prime Minister and co-chair of the Clinton-led reconstruction commission, Jean Max Bellerive] being on it. He's a conflicted guy and is being pressured on both sides and we believe trying to help. Wjc will be v unhappy if that's the case. Nor do I think u need remove his visa. Not sure what it gets u. Remove elizabeth's [Préval’s wife] and prevals people. I'm also staying at his house fyi so exposure in general and this weekend in particular for wjc on this.</p>
<p>In response, Mills questioned the “message it sends” for Graham to stay at Bellerive’s house, but Graham replied, indicating a certain coordination between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department in influencing Haitian politics: “For the record, I discussed staying at his house w both u and wjc long ago and was told good strategic value and ive [sic] stayed there every time.”</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/kTfxCI8cJ8k" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchWed, 07 Sep 2016 01:29:26 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/clinton-e-mails-point-to-us-intervention-in-2010-haiti-electionsUS Withdraws Funding for Haiti Electionshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/QgpA4PZfstU/us-withdraws-funding-for-haiti-elections
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/us-withdraws-funding-for-haiti-elections<p>Dismayed by the decision to rerun controversial and fraud-plagued presidential elections, the US State Department <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2016/07/259433.htm#HAITI">announced on Thursday</a> a suspension of electoral assistance to Haiti. State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the decision was communicated to Haitian authorities last week, noting that the US “has provided over <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/the-us-spent-33-million-on-haiti-s-scrapped-elections-here-is-where-it-went">$30 million in assistance</a>” for elections and that the move would allow the US “to maintain priority assistance” for ongoing projects.</p>
<p>Kirby added that “I don’t have a dollar figure in terms of this because it wasn’t funded, it wasn’t budgeted.” However multiple sources have confirmed that the U.S has withdrawn nearly $2 million already in a United Nations controlled fund for elections. Donor governments, as well as the Haitian state, had contributed to the fund. Prior to the US move, $<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article85862377.html">8.2 million remained</a> for elections.</p>
<p>The pulling of funds indicates the growing displeasure with Haitian authorities’ decision to rerun last year’s presidential elections.</p>
<p>“We’ve made no bones about the fact that we had concerns about the way the process was unfolding,” Kirby told reporters on Thursday. During a July 4 address, US Ambassador to Haiti Peter Mulrean was <a href="http://lenouvelliste.com/lenouvelliste/article/160771/Les-Etats-Unis-suspendent-leur-aide-a-Haiti-pour-la-realisation-des-elections#sthash.EkDuiv65.YxDGSGXP.dpuf">even clearer</a>: “We had difficulty understanding the decision … to start the presidential election from scratch.”</p>
<p>According to University of Virginia professor Robert Fatton, the withdrawal may be the “typical punishment” for “feeling insulted by the decisions taken by the people in its so-called ‘backyard.’”</p>
<p>“We believe it’s the sound thing to do, the right thing to do, for the people of Haiti in the long term,” Kirby said about the suspension. The Haitian government and electoral authorities have previously indicated a desire to fund elections from its own coffers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“We already made ourselves clear: Haiti will make all effort to find the $55 million to do the elections,” presidential spokesman Serge Simon <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article88338777.html">told the <i>Miami Herald</i></a>. “If no one comes to our assistance we will manage because the priority for us is the elections,” he added.</p>
<p>“Haiti organizing its own elections with its own funds is a very good thing,” Fatton said. While noting that it would not guarantee a cleaner election, Fatton continued “This new reality may finally compel Haitians to blame or congratulate themselves for the outcome, and it represents a small but important step in the country’s recovery of a modicum of its national sovereignty.”</p>
<p>Second-round presidential elections, scheduled for January, were scrapped amid allegations of fraud and increasing street protests. The handpicked successor to former president Michel Martelly had placed first, according to the since discarded results. The US, European Union, United Nations and other donors that make up the “Core Group” in Haiti all endorsed the results as credible.</p>
<p>With no president-elect waiting, Martelly stepped down when his term ended in February. The legislature elected a provisional president from the political opposition – Senator Jocelerme Privert.</p>
<p>Privert, with the strong backing of civil society organizations, local elections observers and a wide swath of the political spectrum, <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/haiti-president-calls-for-electoral-verification-mission-opposed-by-international-donors">created a verification commission</a> to audit the previous election. The five-member panel <a href="http://haitielection2015.blogspot.com/2016/05/final-report-of-independent-commission.html">found evidence</a> of “zombie votes” — representing hundreds of thousands of votes — as well as widespread irregularities and recommended tossing the results. Haiti’s electoral council, heeding the recommendations, scheduled new presidential elections for October.</p>
<p>European Union election observers, disagreeing vehemently with the decision, <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article82637347.html">pulled out of the country</a>. The Organization of American States (OAS), after initially backing the results, pledged to <a href="http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-071/16">respect the Haitian-led verification process</a> and new electoral calendar. However the US suspension of electoral assistance may impact the OAS’ ability to continue monitoring the electoral process.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/the-us-spent-33-million-on-haiti-s-scrapped-elections-here-is-where-it-went">US provided $1 million to the OAS</a> for its electoral observation mission last year.</p>
<p>Some have expressed concern that the US suspension of assistance could have greater ramifications for the electoral process. “The fact that the US is pulling $2 million from the ‘election basket’ may be a sign that it is prepared to delegitimize the forthcoming elections if the results do not coincide with its interests,” Fatton said.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/QgpA4PZfstU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchFri, 08 Jul 2016 12:00:36 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/us-withdraws-funding-for-haiti-electionsMartelly Bloc Formalizes Alliance with DEA Fugitive Guy Philippehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/zkRkln0r4KA/martelly-bloc-formalizes-alliance-with-dea-fugitive-guy-philippe
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/martelly-bloc-formalizes-alliance-with-dea-fugitive-guy-philippe<p>Days before the June 14 end of provisional president Jocelerme Privert’s mandate, a coalition of political parties close to former president Michel Martelly <a href="http://lenouvelliste.com/lenouvelliste/article/159841/PHTK-et-allies-sunissent-pour-exiger-le-depart-de-Privert-le-14-juin">formalized an alliance</a> and began advocating for Privert’s removal. Led by former de facto prime minister under Marelly, Evans Paul, the “Entente Democratique” (ED) or “democratic agreement” as they have called themselves, have denounced the “totalitarian tendencies” of Privert and categorized the possible extension of his mandate as an illegal power grab.</p>
<p>Haitian parliamentarians were expected to vote earlier this week on extending or replacing Privert, who was appointed provisional president in early February after Martelly’s term ended with no elected replacement. The vote was delayed, as it has been previously. &nbsp;</p>
<p>The creation of ED has formalized an alliance between Martelly’s political movement, PHTK, and Guy Philippe, a notorious paramilitary leader who is running for a seat in the Senate. Philippe was the head of a paramilitary force that helped destabilize the country in the run-up to the 2004 coup against former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. From its bases in the Dominican Republic, the group mounted numerous attacks targeting police stations and government supporters. <a href="https://www.hrw.org/legacy/english/docs/2004/02/27/haiti7677_txt.htm">According to Human Rights Watch</a>, Philippe also oversaw extrajudicial killings while a police chief in the late 90s. Facing a sealed indictment in the U.S. for alleged drug trafficking ties and money laundering, Philippe remains a <a href="http://www.dea.gov/fugitives/mia/EC072DAE-68BF-4268-A267-FE61993DFDE8.shtml">DEA most wanted fugitive</a>.</p>
<p>Philippe <a href="http://haitielection2015.blogspot.com/2016/03/guy-philippe-threatens-civil-war-as.html">appeared alongside Martelly’s chosen successor Jovenel Moïse</a> at a December political rally and has voiced his support for Moïse’s candidacy in radio broadcasts, but the formal alliance is an indication that those ties are now deepening. Philippe, a former police chief who received training from U.S. military forces in Ecuador, found an ally in Martelly, who made the army’s restoration a central plank of his presidency and his party. The army was disbanded under Aristide after a long history of human rights abuses and involvement in coup d’états. “The army has always been a part of our policy…There is no way to have Haiti without an army,” Roudy Chute, a PHTK party representative, stated during an August interview.</p>
<p>In February, Philippe <a href="http://haitielection2015.blogspot.com/2016/03/guy-philippe-threatens-civil-war-as.html">warned of a “civil war”</a> if Privert did not hold elections in April. The political accord that brought Privert to office called for elections in April, but after an <a href="https://drive.google.com/a/ijdh.org/file/d/0BwrRcOqQep6dOFlPaUgzLUxLWHM/view">electoral verification commission recommended</a> scrapping the entire first round due to fraud, new presidential elections have been scheduled for October.</p>
<p>Last month, Philippe was <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-haiti-politics-violence-idUSKCN0Y72EF">allegedly tied</a> to a paramilitary attack on a police station in the rural town of Cayes that killed 6, though he has <a href="http://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-17478-icihaiti-flash-guy-philippe-denied-his-involvement-in-the-commando-of-les-cayes.html">denied involvement</a> and refused to appear for questioning. Philippe had previously been prevented from running for office due to his ties to drug trafficking, but certain regulations were removed last year, allowing a number of <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article30459984.html">candidates with criminal pasts to register</a>. In 2006 Philippe ran for president, garnering less than two percent of the vote.</p>
<p>A DEA spokesperson confirmed that Philippe remains a fugitive, adding that he has proven to be “very elusive,” and that U.S. Marshalls had been given apprehension authority. A spokesperson for the Marshalls contested this, saying the DEA has “solid information about the subject’s whereabouts,” so there was no need for them to transfer apprehension authority. The DEA later acknowledged its responsibility for apprehending Philippe, but would not confirm if any active efforts to do so were underway.</p>
<p>Though the DEA has been involved in a number of high profile arrests in Haiti during the last five years, Philippe remains free.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the ED has called for an uprising against Privert. In a June 12 <a href="http://i2.wp.com/sentinel.ht/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/881x1d.jpg">letter</a>, the group called on Haitian National Police director-general Michel Ange Gédéon to disobey “any illegal order coming from a person stripped of legality and legitimacy,” referring to Privert. The ED also <a href="http://lenouvelliste.com/lenouvelliste/article/159933/Evans-Paul-appelle-a-la-rebellion">called</a> on the international community to withhold recognition of Privert’s government after June 14.</p>
<p>These calls have largely fallen on deaf ears. The international community has urged parliament to meet to decide Privert’s future and U.S. Haiti Special Coordinator Ken Merten offered a <a href="http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm/258631.htm">tepid recognition</a> of Privert on a call with reporters last week. Anti-Privert protests planned for last week failed to materialize.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/zkRkln0r4KA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchThu, 23 Jun 2016 07:36:35 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/martelly-bloc-formalizes-alliance-with-dea-fugitive-guy-philippeThe US Spent $33 Million on Haiti’s Scrapped Elections — Here is Where it Wenthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/wRR7cQ9pJms/the-us-spent-33-million-on-haiti-s-scrapped-elections-here-is-where-it-went
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/the-us-spent-33-million-on-haiti-s-scrapped-elections-here-is-where-it-went<p>Haiti’s electoral council announced yesterday that new first-round presidential elections would be held in October after a commission found widespread fraud and irregularities in the previous vote. The prospect of the new vote — to be held alongside dozens of parliamentary seats still up for grabs, has raised questions about how it could be funded. The previous elections — determined to be too marred by fraud and violence to count — cost upward of $100 million, with the bulk of the funding coming from international donors.</p>
<p>But now, donors are balking. Last week the State Department’s Haiti Special Coordinator Ken Merten <a href="http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm/258099.htm">said that</a> if elections are redone “from scratch” than it would put U.S. assistance in jeopardy. It “could also call into question whether the U.S. will be able to continue to support financially Haiti’s electoral process,” Merten added. In a separate interview, <a href="http://lenouvelliste.com/lenouvelliste/article/159599/Rapport-de-la-Commission-de-verification-Kenneth-Merten-ny-voit-pas-de-probleme-mais-ne-souhaite-pas-une-reprise-des-elections">Merten explained</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We still do not know what position we will adopt regarding our financial support. U.S. taxpayers have already spent more than $33 million and that is a lot. We can ask ourselves what was done with the money or what guarantees there are that the same thing will not happen again.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, what was done with the money? Could the same thing happen again?</p>
<p>To begin with, that figure seems to include money allocated in 2012 – years before the electoral process began. Local and legislative elections, which former president Michel Martelly was constitutionally required to organize, failed to happen. A significant share of this early funding likely went to staffing and overhead costs as international organizations or grantees kept their Haiti programs running, despite the absence of elections. It’s also worth pointing out that many millions of that money never went to electoral authorities, but rather to U.S. programs <i>in support </i>of elections. &nbsp;</p>
<p>In April 2013, USAID awarded a grant to the DC-based Consortium for Elections and Political Processes. In total, $7.23 million went to the consortium before the electoral process even began. An additional $4.95 million was awarded in July 2015, a month before legislative elections. The consortium consists of two DC-based organizations, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). In a <a href="http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/ha/hsc/2015report/251223.htm">January report to Congress</a>, the State Department explained further what some this money went towards:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>“the creation and implementation of twenty-six Electoral Information Centers (EICs) … to provide information to the general public on the electoral process”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>“training more than 100 journalists in several departments on topics such as the international standards for elections …”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>“Funding through INL supported election security.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>“USAID also supported the creation of a new domestic election observation platform that helped build greater transparency into the electoral process by establishing a grassroots coalition of reputable and well-trained domestic observers …”</p>
<p>Some funding also went to increasing women’s participation in the electoral process. But it’s questionable what the return on that $12.18 million really was. Not a single woman was elected to parliament — though it <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article81001627.html">now appears as though at least one was elected</a>, only to have her seat stolen through the bribing of an electoral judge. In terms of providing information to the public about the elections, participation in both the legislative and presidential elections was only about a fifth of the population. The money spent on local observers may have been more successful, but not for U.S. interests. The local observer group, the Citizen Observatory for the Institutionalization of Democracy, led by Rosny Desroches, agreed with other local observation missions that a verification commission (opposed by the U.S.) was needed to restore confidence in the elections. The U.S. spent millions training local observers, only to later ignore their analysis. Instead, the U.S. has consistently pointed to the observation work of international organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the EU. The U.S. also provided $1 million to the OAS for their observation work.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/wRR7cQ9pJms" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchTue, 07 Jun 2016 11:52:50 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/the-us-spent-33-million-on-haiti-s-scrapped-elections-here-is-where-it-wentElection Verification Results Expected this Weekend: What to Expect and What Comes Next?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~3/Alh1bflmm48/election-verification-results-expected-this-weekend-what-to-expect-and-what-comes-next
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/election-verification-results-expected-this-weekend-what-to-expect-and-what-comes-next<p>This Sunday the month-long verification commission that is analyzing Haiti’s elections is expected to release its results. No matter the outcome, Haiti and the international community are bracing for the worst. The U.S. embassy warned yesterday that protests are expected both on Sunday and on Tuesday, when the electoral council said it will announce a new electoral calendar. Rosny Desroches, who led a U.S.-financed local observation mission, predicted a “climate of tension and pressure” after the verification report is released, <a href="https://twitter.com/Jacquiecharles/status/735211986565406720">according to <i>Miami Herald</i> journalist Jacqueline Charles</a>.</p>
<p>Provisional president Jocelerme Privert, who took office after ex-president Michel Martelly’s term ended, created the verification commission after widespread condemnation of fraud following August’s legislative elections and October’s first-round presidential elections. After virtually all of Haiti’s opposition political parties and civil society organizations denounced the continuation of the electoral process without such a commission, Privert said it was needed to restore confidence and credibility to the elections. The U.S. and other actors in the international community, after first trying to prevent the verification, have largely accepted it, while still trying to limit the possible outcomes.</p>
<p>"We hope it is very, very quick and does not change the results of the election," State Department Haiti Special Coordinator Kenneth Merten said on a trip to Haiti in late April.</p>
<p>Though little information has come out about the verification commission’s work, it has been analyzing records at the Central Tabulation Center, where tally sheets and other elections materials were counted and archived, for the last few weeks. The Organization of American States (OAS), previously the most vocal proponent of the election’s credibility, is monitoring the commission’s work.</p>
<p>While the exact outcome is unknown, there are three main scenarios which could result from the commission’s work. It could largely confirm the findings of a previous evaluation that found widespread irregularities and fraud, but recommended moving forward with the cancelled second round between PHTK’s Jovenel Moise (the hand-picked successor to Martelly) and Jude Celestin of LAPEH. It could exclude one or more candidates due to fraud, opening the runoff to third-place finisher Moise Jean Charles of Pitit Dessalines or it could determine that due to the magnitude of the problems a new first round election should be held. Either way, certain political factions and their supporters are bound to be aggrieved, fueling the expectation that the commission’s conclusions will provoke “tension and pressure.”</p>
<p>If the first-round is simply ratified and a second round between the top two finishers in the October vote is called for, the same actors who took to the streets and denounced widespread fraud will likely remobilize. On the other side, PHTK will try to resist either a first round rerun or, more importantly, the exclusion of its candidate due to fraud. From the beginning, PHTK has denounced the verification as a smokescreen to oust Jovenel Moise.</p>
<p>For the international community, led predominantly by the U.S., there remain a few primary objectives; containing any widespread violence and political instability, especially with U.S. presidential elections upcoming and blocking a return of Lavalas to the presidency. After <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiXw5ye3vrMAhVSFlIKHW6jALsQFggcMAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fcepr.net%2Fdocuments%2Fpublications%2Fhaiti-oas-2011-10.pdf&amp;usg=AFQjCNEvftZng2tRV0C8k4iJDSxTp_CUuA&amp;sig2=6VDDKZlwYcFbUKaYTIcG6Q&amp;bvm=bv.122676328,d.aXo">helping to overturn the 2010 election</a> results and ushering Martelly into the presidency, then backing him and his PHTK party for the last five years with billions in aid and diplomatic cover, the U.S. has invested quite a bit in the party’s political success. Still, the threat of similar protests to what occurred in late 2015 and early 2016 from opposition parties and civil society also weighs heavily.</p>
<p>“It seems the primary concern [of the U.S.] is Pitit Dessalines and Fanmi Lavalas…they are seen as a greater danger because of presumed popular support,” an international official involved in the elections recently told me. The U.S. has consistently maintained they favor no particular candidate or party.</p>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/~4/Alh1bflmm48" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>johnston@cepr.net (Jake Johnston)Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction WatchFri, 27 May 2016 08:08:16 -0400http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/election-verification-results-expected-this-weekend-what-to-expect-and-what-comes-next